Figure toy.



w. BOUTILIER.

FIGURE TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2,1917.

Patented July 31, 1917. 7

INVENTOR WITNESSES s f I J BY 4% WILBERT BOUTILIER, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIGURE TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed March 2, 1917. Serial No. 152,046.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBERT Boummn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Figure Toys, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention is an improved figure toy of that class known as gymnasts or acrobats in which a jointed figure is employed together with means to cause the figure to execute and assume many ludicrous positions, the object of the invention being to provide an improved toy of this kind which is extremely cheap and simple in construction and which may be readily operated.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a figure toy constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detailed views.

The Fig. l is here shown as comprising a trunk 2, pivotally connected legs 3 and pivotally connected arms 4. The arms are pivotally mounted on a rod 5 which in practice is made of wire and is provided at the outer end with oppositely extending arms or loops 6. The rod is longitudinally slidable in an opening 7 of a handle 8 and the rod is provided at its inner end with a downturned portion 9 and with a portion 10 which is parallel with the rod and passes slidably through an opening 11 in the handle, and with a terminal portion 12 which is bent loosely around one side of the handle and prevents the rod from being disconnected theretrom. The portion 10 of the rod also loosely pivotally connects the rod to the handle so that the rod is adapted not only to reciprocate longitudinally but to also move to a slight extent pivotally with respect to the handle.

The outer ends of the arms 4 are each provided with three radially arranged notches 13. A cord 1 L passes around the handle as at 15 and engages notches 16 in the sides of the handle and also is attached to the arms 6 of the rod and is formed in its side leads with loops or bights 17 which are engaged with the notches 13 of the arms so that the leads of the cords are attached to opposite sides of the arms as well as to the rod and the handle and the leads of the cords are crossed between the said arms and the outer end of the rod and the handle, when the figure is in normal position depending by gravity from the rod.

To operate the figure the handle is grasped by the fingers of one hand and the thumb is employed to impart intermittent longitudinal impulses to the rod. Each of such impulses as the rod moves in one direction causes the tension of the cord to arrange the leads of the cord parallel with each other and in so doing cause the cord to move the arms of the figure upwardly and correspondingly raise the figure and as the thumb pressure on the rod is relaxed the figure if desired can be caused to pass over the rod and hence again cause the leads of the cord to cross, each movement of the figure by gravity or centrifugal force across or over the rod serving by the movement of its arms to cross the leads of the cord as will be un derstood. By appropriately varying the pressures on the end of the rod and by timing the movements thereof the figure can be caused to describe a great variety of gyra tions and movements and toassume a great variety of amusing and ludicrous positions, as will be understood.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my invention I would have it understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a toy of the class described, in combination with a figure having arms, a rod on which the figure arms are pivotally mounted, a handle to which the rod is connected for reciprocating movement longitudinally of the rod and a cord having leads connected to the rod and handle and to opposite sides of the arms so that the leads of the cord Will be crossed when the. arms of the figure assume one position.

2. In a toy of the class described, a figure having arms, a rod on which the figure arms are pivotally mounted, said rod having a down-turned portion, an inwardly extendlng portion parallel with the rod, a handle the said inwardly extending parallel portion 10 thereof extend slidaloly and a cord connected to the rod and t0 the handle and attached to the arms of the figure at points eccentric to said rod.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature. 15

WILBERT BOUTILIER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five eents each, by addressing the fiommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. U. 

